Enterprise Virtualization ManagerApplication · Redhat
CVE-2012-0861
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedThe vds_installer in Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization Manager (RHEV-M) before 3.1, when adding a host, uses the -k curl parameter when downloading deployUtil.py and vds_bootstrap.py, which prevents SSL certificates from being validated and allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary Python code via a man-in-the-middle attack.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · high confidenceThe vds_installer in Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization Manager before version 3.1 uses curl with the -k flag when downloading deployUtil.py and vds_bootstrap.py during host addition. The -k parameter disables SSL certificate validation, allowing a man-in-the-middle attacker to intercept the connection and inject arbitrary Python code for remote execution.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data
Enterprise Virtualization ManagerApplication
<= 3.0= 2.1= 2.2= 2.2.3CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Adjacent
- Complexity
- High
- Authentication
- None
- Confidentiality
- Complete
- Integrity
- Complete
- Availability
- Complete
AV:A/AC:H/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
-
Identify the installed Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization Manager versionRun: rpm -q rhevm or check the /etc/redhat-release file for the RHEV version. Alternatively, use the management portal to view the system version.Affected if The version is 3.0 or earlier, specifically 2.1, 2.2, 2.2.3, or any 2.x/3.0.x version.
-
Verify the vds_installer component is presentCheck for the vds_installer package: rpm -q vds_installer or search for the binary in /usr/share/rhev-vds-installer/ or similar paths.Affected if The vds_installer package or its binaries are found on the system.
-
Examine curl usage in host addition processDuring a test host addition or by inspecting the vds_installer scripts/logs, look for curl commands containing the -k or --insecure flag being used to download deployUtil.py or vds_bootstrap.py.Affected if The -k flag is present in curl commands fetching these Python files during host deployment.
-
Inspect SSL certificate validation configurationReview the vds_installer configuration files for SSL verification settings. Check if CA certificate validation is properly configured or disabled.Affected if SSL certificate validation is disabled or not enforced for the host addition download process.
A system is affected if it runs Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization Manager version 3.0 or earlier (2.1, 2.2, 2.2.3, or any 2.x/3.0.x) and the vds_installer uses curl with the -k flag during host addition, allowing unvalidated downloads of bootstrap scripts.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
From vendor dataRemove the -k curl parameter and implement proper SSL certificate validation in the vds_installer. Upgrade to RHEL Virtualization Manager 3.1 or later which contains the patched version.
Fix this in Enterprise Virtualization Manager
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation3.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing3.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $3,408.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2012-0861 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2012-0861 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.
A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.
- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
- No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data